I received my undergraduate biology degree from Kansas State University. There I initially studied under the wildlife management track hoping to become a national park ranger. During my undergraduate career, my interests started to sway more toward the micro-science rather than the ecological science and I switched majors to biology. Leaning more towards research in my last two years at K-State, I rotated through two molecular plant ecology labs and served as a summer intern here at KU-med under Dr. Joe Lutkenhaus. Currently I work in Dr. Jim Luyendyk’s lab, and when I can slip away from the office I like to ride bikes, enjoy the outdoors, and eat at Mi Ranchito.
Research Interests
Our lab is interested in studying how the blood coagulation cascade and its associated proteins are involved in the development and progression of liver fibrosis. Currently my focus is studying the induction, expression and implications of the beta 6 integrin in biliary liver fibrosis. The beta 6 integrin is a heterodimeric partner of the alpha V integrin, where upon their dimerization in the plasma membrane can bind to extracellular matrix proteins and can activate TGF-beta, a promoter of fibrosis. In healthy liver the beta 6 integrin is nearly undetectable, but upon bile duct ligation as a model of fibrosis, the bile duct epithelial cells up-regulate this gene and the ItgaVb6 dimer can be seen on the biliary cells. To study this process in vivo we utilize a variety of coagulation deficient animals treated with alpha-naphthyl-isothiocyanate (ANIT), a chemical which selectively injures bile duct epithelial cells during its metabolism. Dr. Luyendyk has shown that tissue factor, an initiator protein of the extrinsic coagulation cascade, contributes in acute ANIT toxicity. To study these fibrotic mechanisms in a more simplistic manner we have utilized primary rat bile duct epithelial cells and a transformed human bile duct epithelial cell line for our in vitro work. It is our long term goal to elucidate important mechanisms required for liver fibrosis, which could hopefully lead to a pharmaceutical target to help treat these patients.
Contact Information
Brad Sullivan
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics
The University of Kansas Medical Center
MS1018
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: (913) 588-9982
Fax: (913) 588-7501
E-Mail: bsullivan@kumc.edu
Updated 8/25/09
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The University of Kansas Medical Center